Pub-escent

About a fortnight past – apparently while I was otherwise engrossed in National Hot Dog Day and Brash beer releases – the web was all atwitter over an unrepentant diner owner in Maine who yelled at a screaming toddler who was disrupting her restaurant. As the internet has become little more than an unfiltered stream of vitriol and echo chamber for unsolicited advice, sententious blowhards came out of the woodwork on all sides telling everyone else how to raise their children and live their lives. It seems there are no winners in this internecine warfare between those who bring their sweet cherubs to their favorite establishments and those who see only terror-inducing hellspawn, and in the age of mass media, some parents are scared to take their children anywhere for fear of going viral for their wanton recklessness.

Diners may be one thing, but any question of whether children should be present invariably leads to those procreating monsters who bring their children to bars. First thoughts tend to run to that pinnacle of cinematic achievement, Sweet Home Alabama, but then come rational-sounding arguments from both camps until they devolve into ad hominem attacks.

“Bars are for adults, and when I’ve had a long day at the office, I want to enjoy a drink without feeling like I’ve sat near the ball pit at Chuck-E-Cheese.”

“Well, parents are adults too, we’d like a drink after a long day, and sometimes this is the best or only place to see our friends.”

“Then you should’ve thought of that before you decided to reproduce.”

“Sorry we’re keeping the human race a going concern.”

Ad infinitum. Ad nauseam. Some outlets have tried to present this as a level-headed debate, with contributors presenting pros and cons. But as I read one such commentary, I got to the point where a Dad answering the question in the negative said, “But as soon as I brought a finger to my lips and gestured sheepishly toward my sleeping infant when someone started talking too loudly, I knew I’d crossed a line.” Hold the phone. That’s precisely where the case fails, and to me suggests a simple solution to the whole debate.

Thou shalt respect the atmosphere of the place you inhabit.

I’m not going to have my garage band practice at the library, nor do I expect to get my needlepoint done in a mosh pit. Some bars are more kid-friendly than others, to be sure, and many that may allow them during the day ban them after dark. The drinking age is 21, after all. But scenesters should be able to enjoy happy hour without a cacophony of caterwauling cockerels, while breeders can have a drink with friends as long as they don’t expect their child to get a nap in or avoid the errant F-bomb. Can’t we all just get a beer?

Where is all this headed? Houston’s newest brewery, Brash, has been successively rolling out their offerings in recent weeks, and tomorrow the official release of Cortado – an imperial coffee breakfast stout – will be held simultaneously at Southside Espresso and the Hay Merchant, where brunch will start at 8 am for the occasion. Full disclosure: I’ve got a 16-month-old toddler. No matter what shenanigans we might try to get into the night before, he’ll be up by 7:00 wanting milk, and he’ll normally be eating fruit and waffles by 8:00 or 8:30. If I’m on morning duty tomorrow, why can’t we all have breakfast at Hay Merchant and try some Cortado? Kidding. He’s on the wagon. But as long as he’s not running around the place knocking people’s snifters on the floor, no harm no foul, right? 8:00 am breakfast is probably too early for those childless denizens tripping the light fantastic on a Friday night, anyway.

Where do you stand on the question? Can everyone live by my single commandment? Brash is doing some exciting things on the Houston beer scene, so maybe you’ll see me tomorrow morning. And maybe you’ll see mini-me.

Related Articles

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since Houston Beer Guide was kind enough to publish “Who Will be Houston’s Tree House or Trillium?” It’s even harder to believe how much progress has been made since I wrote that essay. My initial hope was that a newcomer to the Houston craft beer scene would

Some months ago I penned a short review of home delivery services for craft beer in the Houston area. In that post I lamented that Greater Houston lacked a true beer delivery service like Hopsy in the California Bay Area. While our local supermarkets and liquor stores were offering delivery services for their products, nothing

When the Allen brothers named this city after the foremost Texas hero, they fated that Houston would be a city with a “personality” as big as his. So it should come as no surprise the big Texas spirit and big Texas taste is present in Houston’s beer scene. To celebrate beverages that would make The

When the Allen brothers named this city after the foremost Texas hero, they fated that Houston would be a city with a “personality” as big as his. So it should come as no surprise the big Texas spirit and big Texas taste is present in Houston’s beer scene. To celebrate beverages that would make The

If you’re like me, you pay close attention to the latest announcement of some or another company joining in on the push to expand the ‘on demand economy’ into beer, wine and liquor. A confluence of circumstances recently has had me doing more than just watching press releases to using the services. I’ve used a

3 Comments

KennethK

Love the article. I’ve got two rug rats, age 4 and 8 so I’ve got some experience with this. I find I won’t take them to any bar without checking out the place on my own first. Day time at the Saucer? Grab your iPad, daddy needs a beer. Saturday night? Babysitter time. No Label brewery? Sure. The place that advertises $1 wells? Well, I’m not going there anyway. It’s all about common sense.

Jennifer Fountain

Your mantra, “Thou shalt respect the atmosphere of the place you inhabit,” truly IS key.

We take our kids — ages 12, 7, and 5 — to many breweries and craft beer bars, but (I like to think at least) we do it in a way that doesn’t disturb other patrons. We only take the kids in the afternoon or early evening, we make sure they bring entertainment (i.e. toys and/or an iPad), and we don’t expect the people around us to modify their behavior because our kids are there.

I’d be curious to know how many of the people who frown upon having a “baby in a bar” are parents, and if they’re NOT, if their attitude will change when(if) they have children of their own.

Another great article on the subject, and one I wholeheartedly agree with. Reminds me of Orwell’s perfect pub, the “Moon Under Water,” where a family atmosphere was a key component, just like the German beer gardens.

[…] an entire city of beer drinkers this past March with Houston Haze, which, it could be argued is on the level of some of the best NEIPAs in the business. For fans of the style, the Citra- and Galaxy-drenched Houston Haze is one of the most important […]